Tuesday 27 July 2010

Lughnasadh

Lughnasadh, also called Lammas, is the Celebration of Harvest. This is the time of the first harvests. At this celebration we give thanks to the Earth for its bounty and beauty. It is from these harvests that we eat through the upcoming winter. The grain Goddesses Demeter and Ceres are also honored. This is a time to harvest the dreams planted earlier in the year.

Lughnasadh or 'Festival of Lugh' is a time of thanksgiving and reverence to the Land for it's sacrifices to us.

It is said that Lugh (Llew, Lugos, Lugus), Master of All the Arts and Crafts, dedicated this festival to his foster-mother, Tailtiu, the last queen of the Fir Bolg, who died from exhaustion after clearing a great forest so that the land could be cultivated. When the men of Ireland gathered at her death-bed, she told them to hold funeral games in her honor. As long as they were held, she prophesied Ireland would not be without song. Tailtiu’s name is from Old Celtic Talantiu, "The Great One of the Earth," suggesting she may originally have been a personification of the land itself, like so many Irish goddesses. In fact, Lughnasadh has an older name, Brón Trogain, which refers to the painful labor of childbirth. For at this time of year, the earth gives birth to her first fruits so that her children might live....

The Lughnassadh Sabbat is a time to celebrate the first of three harvest celebrations (Mabon and Samhain being the other two) in the Craft. It marks the middle of Summer represents the start of the harvest cycle and relies on the early crops of ripening grain, and also any fruits and vegetables that are ready to be harvested. It is therefore greatly associated with bread as grain is one of the first crops to be harvested.

Lughnasadh was also the traditional time of year for craft festivals. The medieval guilds would create elaborate displays of their wares, decorating their shops and themselves in bright colors and ribbons, marching in parades, and performing strange, ceremonial plays and dances for the entranced onlookers.

One traditional Lughnasadh custom was the construction of the corn dolly or corn maiden. This figure, braided into a woman's form from the last harvested sheaf of grain, represented the Harvest Spirit. (In America, the tradition is continued in the making of corn husk dolls.) The doll would be saved until Spring, when it was ploughed into the field to consecrate the new planting and insure a good harvest. In other traditions, the corn dolly was fed and watered throughout the Winter, then burned in the fires at Beltane to insure a continuation of good growth.

Another custom drawn from Lughnasadh relates to fire. Lughnasadh was, to the Celts, one of four Great Fire Festivals, held on the cross-quarter days.
During Lughnasadh, the custom of lighting bonfires was intended to add strength to the powers of the waning sun. Afterward, the fire brands were kept in the home through the Winter as protection against storms, lightning and fires caused by lightning....

It is customary to consume bread or something from the First Harvest during the Lughnassadh Ritual. Other actions include the gathering of first fruits and the study of Astrology. Some Pagans symbolically throw pieces of bread into a fire during the Lammas ritual. The celebration of Lughnasadh is a pause to relax and open yourself to the change of the Season so that you may be one with its energies and accomplish what is intended. Visits to fields, orchards, lakes and wells are also traditional.

Spellwork for prosperity, abundance and good fortune are especially appropriate now, as well as spells for connectedness, career, health and financial gain.

As Summer passes, pagans remember its warmth and bounty in the food we eat. Every meal is an act of attunement with Nature, and we are reminded that nothing in the Universe is constant.

Symbolism of Lughnasadh:
Abundance, middle of summer, prosperity...

Symbols of Lughnasadh:
Corn Dollies, Sun wheels, Threshing tools, the Full Moon

Herbs of Lughnasadh:
Acacia flowers, aloes, cornstalks, cyclamen, fenugreek, frankincense, heather, hollyhock, myrtle, oak leaves, sunflower, and wheat.

Foods of Lughnasadh:
Traditional Pagan Foods for the Lughnassadh Festival include homemade breads (wheat, oat and especially cornbread), corn, potatoes, berry pies, barley cakes, nuts,
wild berries, apples, rice, roasted lamb, acorns, crab apples, summer squash, turnips, oats, all grains and all First Harvest foods.
Traditional drinks are elderberry wine, ale and meadowsweet tea.

Incense of Lughnasadh:
Aloes, rose, rose hips, rosemary, chamomile, passionflower, frankincense, and sandalwood.

Stones of Lughnasadh:
Cat's Eye
Lodestone
Clear Quartz
Rhodochrosite
Obsidian
Citrine
Adventurine.

Activities of Lughnasadh:
Activities appropriate for this time of the year are the baking of bread and wheat weaving - such as the making of Corn Dollies, or other God & Goddess symbols.
Sand candles can be made to honor the Goddess and God of the sea. You may want to string Indian corn on black thread to make a necklace, and bake corn bread sticks shaped like little ears of corn for your Sabbat cakes. The Corn Dolly may be used both as a fertility amulet and as an altar centerpiece.
Some bake bread in the form of a God-figure or a Sun Wheel - if you do this, be sure to use this bread in the Cakes and Ale Ceremony.

Colours of Lughnasadh:

Red -- Elemental fire, deities of love, passion, sexuality and war. Courage, will-power, determination, speed, assertivity, aggression, masculinity, independence, physical strength, sports, competition, conflicts, health, sexual attraction and potency, love and passion, fertility.

Orange-- Deities of good luck and good fortune. Charm, kindness, encouragement, stimulation, optimism, success, abundance, prosperity, feast and celebration, achieving business goals, investments, success in legal matters.

Yellow-- Elemental air. Deities for trade, travel, knowledge and magick. Vitality, change, progress, contact, communication, and trade. Confidence, joy, cheerfulness, learning, knowledge, mental clarity, concentration, speaking and writing and visualization.

Green-- Elemental earth and elemental water. Nature and fertility deities, Mother goddesses. Nature, fertility, growth, rejuvenation, recovery, healing, harvest and abundance, prosperity, harmony, balance, peace, hope, home, plants and animals.

Brown/Light brown--Elemental earth, stability, grounding, conservation, protection of household, family and pets, healing animals, finding lost objects, buildings, material increase, to make relationships solid, to increase decisiveness and concentration, to attract help in financial crisis.

Gold --Sun-deities, solar energies, and masculine energy. Abundant self confidence, creativity, perfection, financial richess, success in investments, luxury, worldly power, magickal power, overcoming bad habits and addictions.

Bronze-- Love-goddesses, love and passion, positive relationships in love, friendship in business, career promotions, successful negotiations.

Gray-- Neutralizing negative influences, putting a halt to action.

Animals of Lughnasadh
Griffins, basilisks, roosters, calves, centaurs, phoenix

Lughnasadh blessings!
Tansy
x

Sunday 25 July 2010

THE LONG HORNED COW

THE LONG HORNED COW

The bull and its female counterpart the cow, have long been symbols of fertility. While the cow is predominantly a symbol of motherhood and nourishment.

While the cow usually embodied lunar aspects, and goddesses sometimes wore horns of the cow, the bull was a symbol of the sun. The Hindu devine being Indra is often depicted riding on a bull, while Brahma is depicted upon a cow.

Bull worship was a part of Egypt and Greece. The Egyptian god Osiris is often depicted with the head of a bull. In Roman and Greek mythology there are several powerful lengends of the bull. Probably the most familiar is the tale of the Minotaur. A study of the myth and lore of the bull may provide insight into past lives for those with this totem.

The bull is of course associated with the astrological sign of Taurus, an earth sign. It is a sign that has to do with possessions. It is a sign that has links to making the mundane and earthy more fertile. The sign of Taurus should be studied for further insight.

The bull is masculine and implies a fertilising of the Earth, a Feminine planet in traditional astrology. In the bull then we have the union of the male and female. The horns of the bull resemble the lunar crescent, giving it the link with the feminine.

If the bull has shown up as your totem, you should ask yourself some important questions. Are you being as productive as you can? Do you need to sow some new seeds? Are you being stubborn and rigid? Do you or those around you need to become more sensitive? Are you rushing when you should be allowing things to become fertile in their own time? Ar you or those around you insecure?

Magickal Attributes:

The bull can help you understand and work with the mundane aspets of fertility and the relationships necessary for it. It will teach stability without stubborness. The bull can help you to assert your feminine energies with the greatest success. Knowing when to be aggressive. Defending yourself and family. Being content where you are, but also being aware of what may be going on around you. Being alert for danger. Performing difficult work in a conscientious manner. Strength.

Tansy
x

Saturday 24 July 2010

Belanos

Belanos

The Celtic god of light and healing, "Bel" means "shining one," or in Irish Gaelic, the name "bile" translates to "sacred tree." The worship of Belenus was linked with the healing aspect of Apollo. It is thought that the waters of Danu, the Irish All-Mother goddess, fed the oak and produced their son, The Dagda. Beli was the son of Mynogen. Beli was the husband of the goddess Don, the daughter of Mathonwy. Beli was the father of five sons: Amathon, Nudd, Govannon, Gwydyon and Gilvaethwy. Beli was also the father of two daughters: Aranrhod and Penarddun, the wife of Llyr.

Patron of sheep and cattle, Bel's festival is Beltane, one of two main Celtic fire festivals. Beltane celebrates the return of life and fertility to the world -- marking the beginning of Summer and the growing season. Taking place on April 30, Beltane also is sometimes referred to as "Cetsamhain" which means "opposite Samhain." The word "Beltaine" literally means "bright" or "brilliant fire," and refers to the bonfire lit by a presiding Druid in honor of Bile.

"Some believe this deity is the equivalent of Belatucadros, the consort of Belisama, another patroness of light, fire, the forge and crafts. Belatucadros, whose name means "fair shining one" or possibly "the fair slayer," is the god of destruction and war and transports the dead to Danu's "divine waters." Celtic deities often reign over seemingly contradictory themes. In the case of Belatucadros, death was simply a pathway to rebirth in the Otherworld, thus linking the two themes together.

It has been suggested that the mythological king, Beli Mawr, in the story of Lludd and Llefelys in The Mabinogion, is a folk memory of this god. In Irish mythology, the great undertakings of the Tuatha Dé Danann and the Milesians -- the original supernatural inhabitants of Eiru and their human conquerors, respectively -- began at Beltane. The Milesians were led by Amairgen, son of Mil, in folklore reputed to be the first Druid.

God closely connected to the Druids. Science, healing, hot springs, fire, success, prosperity, purification, crops, vegetation, fertility. A sun and fire god.

He is also linked to several of the legends concerning Glastonbury Tor. Some legends say this is the home of the god Gwyn Ap Nuad and that Belanos purifies this site with his fires each Sabbat.

In magick and ritual – Belanos can help you seek knowledge of the Land of the Death, help you to contact the spirits that pass over, or purify your ritual sites. Call on him to help protect you from your enemies. Because of the association with Beli with the all seeing eye, he can also aid you in astral projection or with past life memory. Use his presence to enhance the Beltane or Samhain sabbat festivities.

Correspondences – Black, the scythe, balefire, the omniscient eye, Samhain/Beltane, madrake, ash, sheep, cattle

Wednesday 21 July 2010

Witches Ladders

Today I thought I might make some Witches Ladders for the Kitchen Witch website.

Since olden times, feathers have been collected for magickal uses. One of the most famous charms using feathers is the Witches Ladder. For a Witches Ladder, three different colored yarns or ribbons are braided together, the colors depending on the purpose of the spell. I am going to use white for the maiden, red for the mother and black for the crone. Nine feathers are worked into the braid.

The magickal qualities of feathers are determined by their colour. Listed below is feather lore from European folk magick sources. You'll find it differs slightly from that of color symbolism in general.

I am also going to add in any beads or herbs I feel are right and necessary, it is going to be an interesting exercise!

FEATHERS & THEIR COLOURS

WHITE - White feathers symbolize purification, spirituality, hope, protection, peace, and blessings of the Moon.
RED - Red feathers symbolize physical vitality. Also courage, good fortune, and life.
BLUE - Blue feathers give mental abilities, peace, and protection. Also psychic awareness.
YELLOW - Yellow feathers give cheerfulness, mental alertness, prosperity, and blessings from the Sun.
GREEN - Green feathers symbolize money, prosperity, growth, health, and fertility.
Green and red mixed feathers affect financial matters.
ORANGE - Orange feathers bring attraction, energy, and success.
PINK - Pink feathers attract love.
GRAY - Gray feathers symbolize peace and neutrality.
BROWN - Brown feathers give stability and respect. They also symbolize the home and grounding.
Brown feathers striped in black, like the tail feathers of a pheasant, give a balance between the physical and spiritual life.
Brown feathers banded or mixed with white bring happiness and give the kind of protection that enables one to go unnoticed amidst those who would harm them.
Brown and red mixed feathers bring healing to animals.
BLACK - Black feathers give the mystical wisdom that comes with true spiritual initiation.
Black, iridescent feathers give mystical insight.
Black and white mixed feathers give union and protection.
Black (or gray) feathers banded or mixed with white give hope, balance and harmony.
Black mixed with purple means deep spirituality.
Black, white, and blue mixed feathers brings change.

Black ones are sacred to the God because of their resemblance to the curved horns of the Horned God. They are also a symbol of male virility. The white ones are sacred to the Goddess because they resemble the tool (the sickle) with which grain (sacred to her) is reaped. They also resemble the waxing and waning Moon.

I am going to be making these ladders whilst in circle.

As I begin to braid, I will be chanting this:

Yarn of red, black, and white
Work your magick spell this night
.

As I insert the feathers, begin this or a similar chant:

With this feather/bead/herb and this string,
Protection, happiness and peace this charm will bring.

Then I will consecrate the ladder by passing it through incense smoke and candle flame, asperge it with salt and water, saying:

In the names of the Goddesses
And the God
By Air, Earth, Fire, and Water
I consecrate this charm
Of feathers nine and cord of three
As I will, so mote it be!

The witches ladders can be hung in anywhere in your home to promote a welcoming and pleasant atmosphere or by your altar to aid in magickal workings.

Watch out for them on www.kitchenwitchuk.org

Tansy
x

Monday 19 July 2010

Look around you......


A very special friend told me this at the weekend, and it is wonderful advice:-

Look around your home..... now whilst you are here.. Go on...... take a minute to look around you and see what type of person you are and what the God and Goddess has provided for you.

So I did, and do you know what? After I had done so, I had the most fantastic of weekends. No special events, didn't spend lots of money (well OK, I did but it was on food shopping and that doesn't count!). I spent the weekend with my husband and my children. We ate together, we watched TV together, we talked together, we spent time together.

It was a reminder to me that we are all blessed, in many, many ways. Just small things count.

Look outside your window - see what nature has done out there, it's magickal.

Look around your house - look at the family photographs, look at the pictures the children drew for you, look at the beautiful things that friends have given to you.

We only get one shot at this life, well this time round anyway ;-) make the most of it. We are responsible for our own decisions, our own choices, our own destiny.

We all get caught up in mundane things, sometimes we need to just stop for a minute, re-assess and prioritise.

The universe isn't always kind, it does throw unpleasant things our way sometimes - but these are all life lessons. See the problem, acknowledge it, deal with it, learn from it and move on. Don't hold on to negative feelings or negative energy - turn it around, make it happen for you.
I have a wonderful husband, I have lovely children, I have wonderful parents and family. I have my witchcraft. I have Sacred Mists. I have life, love and happiness - not all the time, that wouldn't be real, but most of the time and I plan to enjoy it and make the most of it.

Seek and define your own destiny....yep you....all of you...go on....do it now...

Tansy
x

Friday 16 July 2010

Dandelions - magickal and herbal uses


Dandelion (taraxacum officinale)

Dandelion is a wonderful food as well as a beneficial medicine. It supports overall health by gently working to improve the functioning of the liver, gallbladder and urinary and digestive systems. It is excellent for cleansing the skin.

An old companion of man, it has accumulated many names. Blowball and telltime refer to the seeds, priest's crown to the stem after the seeds have flown, and swine's snout to the unopened flower. And dandelion itself? The 'teeth of the lion' (dent de lion) explanation, from the appearance of the saw edged leaves or perhaps the tiny florets, is found in many languages. But there is also a case made for an older link to the sun.

In many cultures the lion has been the animal symbol of the sun since antiquity, as the astrological sign Leo. Dandelions are yellow discs, like the sun and open and close along with it. So, perhaps the old name might mean 'rays of the sun' rather than teeth of the lion?

Use dandelion for:

It is high in minerals, especially potassium, and vitamins A, B, C and D. The young leaves boiled up into a tea or eaten fresh in salads are detoxifiers, clearing blood and lymph by increasing elimination through the kidneys and bowels. This in turn benefits overall health.

If dandelion says 'think spring' it also suggests 'think liver'. It has a reputation as a safe liver herb, especially where there are toxins and heat in the blood. The plant's chemicals cause the gallbladder to contract, releasing bile, stimulating the liver to produce more.

Liver related conditiosn aided by the dandelion include jaundice and hepatits, gallstones and urinary tract infection, painful menopause, PMT and menstruation, improvements are achievable in the pancrease, spleen, skin and eyesight.

It is the bitterness in dandelion leaves that makes them so good for your digestion. The bitter taste stimulates secretion of the digestive fluids, including stomach acid, bile and pancreative juices. Dandelion promotes the appetite, and is recommended for those who have been ill or have lost their enthusiasm for food in advanced age.

Roasted dandelion root is a well known and caffeine free coffee substitute. The root can also be eaten as a vegetable.

The flowers don't look very edible, but they are good eaten straight of the plant, mild and slightly sweet. Eating a few dandelion flowers often relieves a headache too.

The flowers also yield a refreshing dandelion beer and a face wash.

The sap or latex of the stems was once used in patent medicines, and was said to remove freckles and age spots corns and warts, to help hair grow and treat bee stings and blisters.

Dandelion is renowned for its diuretic properties, that is, increasing the flow of urine. What is less familiar is how well it strengthens the urinary system. It is effective in treating bed wetting in children and incontinence in older people. All parts of the plant have this effect, especially the leaves.

With most diuretic drugs potassium is lost from the body and has to be supplemented, but dandelion is naturally high in potassium. It can safely be used long term without causing imbalance. The leaves boiled with vegetable peelings make a potassium rich broth.

Dandelion's diuretic effect makes it a good herb for treating swollen ankles for fluid retention and high blood pressure. It can also be used to alleviate shortness of breath in the elderly.

As a medicine the whole plant is invaluable for liver and gall bladder problems, and for skin complaints including eczema and acne. Its action helps reduce high blood pressure, high cholesterol and the pain of arteriosclerosis and joints, digestive problems, chronic illness, viral infections and heart and lung irregularities.

Dandelion can form part of a natural cancer treatment, and taken regularly as a food and medicine can help prevent some cancers, especially breast cancer and other chronic illnesses by keeping the body clean, toned and healthy.

Uses:

Dandelion Sap for
Warts
Calluses
Corns
Rough skin

Dandelion salad for
Sluggish liver
Constipation
Urinary problems
Fluid retention

Dandelion tincture for
Skin problems
Sluggish liver
Constipation
Urinary problems
Fluid retention
Arthritis
Gout
Hangovers
Chronic illness

Dandelion flower infused oil for
Muscle tension
Muscle aches
Stiff necks
Arthritis

Magickal Uses

Gender: Masculine
Planet: Jupiter
Element: Air
Deity: Hecate
Power: Divination, wishes, calling spirits

Drink dandelion tea or coffee to promote psychic powers. Leave a cup of this hot infusion by the bed to call spirits.

Dandelion Coffee:

Dig up the roots, trim off the leaves and stems and any small rootlets. Wash off the earth and scrub the roots well, leave them in a warm place to drain and dry. Cut any larger roots in half and into short lengths, spread the pieces on a shallow roasting tin and bake in a hot oven (400F, 200C, Gas 6) for 30 minutes until the roots are brown and dry all through. Allow to cool then grind. Spread the grounds on the roasting tin and roast them for 7 minutes in a moderate oven (350F, 180C, Gas 4). Put 5-6 tablespoons grounds in a warm jub, pour on 500ml/2 cups/1 pint boiling water, stir and stand for 30 minutes. Strain into a pan and re-heat.

Dandelion Fizz

Gather the dandelion flowers in the sun, when they are fully open. The drink is very mildly alcoholic, sweet and quenching.

1 litre/5 cups prepared dandelion flowers
1 1/2 litres/4 1/2 US quarts water
1 kilo/4 cups sugar
2 lemons

Trim the stalks from the flowers, but leave the green sepals on and discard any overblown flowers or unopened buds. The prepared dandelions should fill a 1 litre/5 cups measure when gently pressed down.

Wash the flowers in a colander and tip them into an earthenware, enamel or plastic container preferably with a well fitting lid. Pour the boiling water on to the dandelions, cover the vessel with a lid, board or weighted plate and leave to stand for 12 hours.

Strain the liquid through a double thickness of muslin into a large saucepan. Add the sugar and the pared rind and juice of the lemons. Heat gently and stir until the sugar has dissolved, but do not allow to boil. Strain the liquid into jugs and leave to cool. Pour into clean, dry bottles with strong screw caps. Store in a cool, dark place. The brew is ready to rink in three or four weeks.



Sources:
Cunninghams Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs
Edible Wild Plants and Herbs
Hedgerow Medicine

Tuesday 13 July 2010

ANIMAL SPIRIT STONES


Today I have been crafting Animal Spirit Stones to put on the Kitchen Witch website www.kitchenwitchuk.org

I have my own totem/animal spirit guides and I work with the spirit of animals a lot, they have much to tell us, much to teach us and are fantastic guides.

Every living plant and animal has its rightful place on earth, and each has unique skills and a spirit of its own which helps it to fulfill its role on earth. I do not believe, as many do today, that humans are the greatest, most important part of this world who have all of nature at our disposal; but rather, that we are one small part of the Earth, and we must respect other creatures as our equals, and learn from what they have to teach us.

As a witch I use Totem Animals to honor nature and the animals that provide nourishment, comfort, knowledge, protection, and universal love. They have a profound connection between ourselves and the earth, and can communicate important values and ideals to us. While sometimes we can connect with the actual living animal, it was most often the essence of the animal who would appears in thoughts, dreams, or during meditation.

History of Spirit Stones

Spirit Stones combine the healing properties of stones, used by Shamans who believed they could absorb negative energy and turn it into positive energy, with the essence of the animal whose picture was carved onto the stone. Each animal representation has its own special power and message, for each animal in life has its own powerful spirit and an inherent skill. The Animal Totem will choose a person as its companion, based on what stage a person is at in life, and which characteristics and virtues the person will benefit to learn.

Find Your Animal Totem

In order to learn what your Totem Animal is you must pay close attention to the signs that come into your life. Some people have always felt inexplicably drawn to a certain animal and its energy. Other people wonder how to tell what their Animal Totem is. Here are some questions to ask yourself if you're wondering which animal you are guided by:

- Does a certain animal consistently appear in your life? Not necessarily in physical form, but also through television, greeting cards, figurines, etc.?

- What animal are you most interested in seeing and learning about when you go to the zoo?

- Are there any animals you find to be extremely frightening or intriguing?

- Do you have recurring dreams about a specific animal? Have you ever had a vivid dream with an animal that you have never been able to forget?

Try to think about the characteristics and innate abilities of different animals. Do you identify with any of these animal dispositions or qualities? The deer, for example is gentle, peaceful, graceful, innocent, and a keen observer. The pig is a very strong totem who teaches spiritual strength, prosperity, self-reliance, and fearlessness. The dolphin teaches us how to be kind, wise, playful, capable of deep emotion, and happy. In order to find out what creature should be on your Spirit Stone, just think about what animal you can learn from. Because the creatures of the animal kingdom are so close to Mother Earth, they can teach us to see and love the earth better, to know life better, know ourselves better, and to communicate on a higher spiritual level.

Tansy
x

Thursday 8 July 2010

The Lady of Avalon... The Lady of the Lake

Having called upon the Lady of Avalon in ritual at Glastonbury this past weekend, and having always been intrigued by the Arthurian tales and having Sacred Mists friends talk about her in the past couple of days, I thought I would do some research:
Tansy
x


Much has been written about her and the land of Avalon, Ynes Affalon, which means the Land of Apples. Morgan le Fay is one of these women, and she herself is a half sister of King Arthur, an enchantress, healer, queen, and goddess. Morgana is sometimes regarded as one of the aspects of the goddess Morrigan.

The Lady of the Lake is the name of several related characters who play integral parts in the Arthurian legend. These roles include giving King Arthur his sword Excalibur, taking the dying king to Avalon after the battle of Camlann, enchanting Merlin, and raising Lancelot after the death of his father .

She has been given various names - Argante, Nimue, Viviane, Elaine, Niniane, Nyneve, Nimueh and other variations. The name 'Nimue' is most probably related to 'nemus' 'nymet' meaning 'grove' or 'sacred grove' ( A name which appears frequently in Place- names within North Devon but seldom elsewhere ). Argante is Celtic and means Silver One.

Alfred Tennyson adapted several stories of the Lady of the Lake in his "Idylls of the King." He said that the Lady of the Lake was the good fairy queen Vivian that raised Lancelot, and gave King Arthur Excalibur by holding the sword up from the middle of her Lake. Then he 'demonized' Morgan le Fay as another part of the Lady, who was Arthur's evil half sister and tried to destroy him. Morgan also was said to have stolen the scabbard to Excalibur. Excalibur could never be defeated. The scabbard could heal anyone and Morgan stole that and threw it back into the lake, so that Arthur could be killed.

Yet another aspect of the Lady in Tennyson's tales was Nimue, who seduced Merlin into teaching her all of his magick, and then trapped him in an oak tree or cave. It is likely that all three of these aspects, or queens, were the ones who took King Arthur in a boat to Avalon to be healed after his final battle.

In Caitlin Matthews book, "Ladies of the Lake", there are nine sisters who are priestesses, queens and enchantress-healers, who live on the island of Avalon. Morgana, Igraine, Guinevere, Argante, Nimue, Enid, Kundry, Dindraine, and Ragnell. Argante is the head Lady of the Lake here, although Morgan is the head Lady in other books.

She's a goddess, a faery queen, an elf. These mythical identities may all stem from a real person, or several real persons. She's so many people, with so many names. Perhaps the answer is simple. There were several Ladies of the Lake.

Her genealogy bears this out - the daughter of Igerna, a.k.a. Ygerna ferch Amlawdd. Igerna - also known as Igraine – who is also King Arthur's mother, with her second husband Uther. According to this genealogy, she is indeed three people - Igraine had three daughters: Morganna, Anna, and Elaine. That makes them all half-sisters to Arthur.

Igraine also had a sister, named Gwyar. Gwyar married a man called Gereint. They had a daughter, Tegau. That makes Igraine Tegau's aunt, and the ladies of the lake Tegau's cousins.

The Lady of the Lake is a caring goddess, and a very strong healer. She is wonderful to work with for almost anything. Water signifies dream, then Argante is their queen. She rules over intuition and imagination. Are you looking for inspiration? You may find it with her.

You may find wisdom too. Argante is no stranger to life, death, and rebirth. Perhaps most important of all, in almost all her guises, she's a teacher. She trains priestesses. She's wise. Perhaps if you keep the surface of your mind still, like an unruffled lake, she will teach you too.

Some of her symbols are: apples or flowering apple branches, an enchanted boat or barge that pilots itself, and an Avalonian castle. A gold apple is for immortality, and a red apple is for transformation...either of these are good symbols for her. She is also linked with the sovereignty of the land, water faeries or mermaids, the Green Lady, and of course, Excalibur and its scabbard.

The Lady's home of Avalon is no longer in the real world, but resides just outside of our world. It is possible to go through a portal, usually filled with mists, to get there.She and Her sisters are there waiting to help and advise you, if you will but ask.

I found this poem on the internet but it did not cite an author:

Lady of Avalon

A song is heard in the night
It whispers in the trees
A call for those who seek the place
A guide, A path, A way
Its power leads us ever on
The Voice of Avalon

Bright is the hill at Avalon
This night the gloom is gone
The Lady of the Lake awaits
And welcomes all who long

A Haven, Harbor, Resting place
The hill it offers all
A tribute to her, The radiant Queen
The Lady of Avalon.

Her name she goes by many
To some by none at all
A Friend, A Love, A Mother
She holds these titles too

And yet to label all she is
With titles and with rank
Will never encompass all she is
Her significance to the place
The place called Avalon

Her touch it can be fleeting
A single glance may be all
Yet those who have felt her touch their soul
Know the magic of Avalon

The Lady always welcomes those
Who seek her sacred place
In Peace and Love and Honesty,
With Loyalty and Grace

The Seekers are drawn to Avalon
And some do wish to stay
Yet must move on at end of day
The twisting path moves on

They will return again someday
To the Lady’s special realm
For once you’ve been to Avalon
Its precincts journey'd through
You await the day you can return

Monday 5 July 2010

The Cailleach


The Cailleach Bheur is my patron goddess, she is the one I work with most, and the one I go to when I need comfort or advice, I love and respect her very much.
Tansy
x


The Cailleach

(Scottish, Irish, Manx) [COY-lck or CALL-y'ach] Also: Caillech Beine Bric; The Cailleach; Crone of Beare. Great Goddess in her Destroyer aspect; called "Veiled One". Another name is Scota, from which Scotland comes. Originally Scotland was called Caledonia, or land given by Caillech.

In parts of Britain she is the Goddess of Winter. Depicted as a blue-faced hag, who is reborn October 31 (Samhain) She brings the snow until the Goddess Brigit deposes her and she eventually turns to stone April 30 (Beltaine). In later times the mythical witch like figure of "Black Annis" is believed to have derived from her.

The Cailleach is one of the most intriguing and significant figures in British folklore. Some tales portray her as a benevolent and primal giantess from the dawn of time who shaped the land and controlled the forces of nature, others as the harsh spirit of winter. Occasionally there are hints that she may represent the survival of an early sovereignty bestowing earth goddess, or her ancient nature-based priestess cult.

More than any other figure in Celtic or British myth, the Cailleach represents the cumulative power of time. Her great age is a common theme in many of the tales about her, and as a result she has almost always been seen as a hag or crone (a meaning of her name). Her earth-shaping ability, through accidental placement of great stones expresses a mythic explanation for processes which take millions of years. The deliberate placement of stones is frequently tied in with Neolithic burial chambers, hinting at the survival of a cult from the distant past.

The Cailleach also has strong associations with both the weather and water, being viewed as the goddess of the harsh winter months. In this role she has been linked in literature ad legend to the Celtic maiden goddess Bride, sometimes as polar opposite and at other times as being dual manifestations of the same goddess. The extent of her power was made clear when she exercised her control over the forces of nature, which made her a significant figure in local folklore.

The Cailleach was also particularly connected with animals in the role of Lady of the Beasts. In Ireland her favoured animal was the cow and in Scotland her particular animal was the deer. She was known to keep herds of her favourite animals and protect them from hunters, who petitioned her for assistance to be successful.

The Cailleach (KAL-y-ach) is the Ancient Earth herself. She is the lichen-covered rocks and the mountain peaks. She is the bare earth covered with snow and frost. She is the Deep Ancestress, veiled by the passage of time.

She is the one who watches over the culling of old growth. She is the Death Goddess, who lets die what is no longer needed. But in the debris of the passing year, she also finds the gems, the seeds for the next season. She is the guardian of the seed, the keeper of the essential life force. She holds the very essence of power.

This is the hag of winter, often described as an ugly giantess leaping from mountaintop to mountaintop. The rocks she drops from her apron become hills. She has a blue-black face with only one eye in the centre of her forehead. Her teeth are red and her hair is matted brushwood covered with frost. She wears grey clothes and a great plaid is wrapped around her shoulders. When the Winter storms rage through the hills, people say the Cailleach is tramping her blankets. She washes her plaid in the eddies of the Corryvreckin off the Scottish coast, and the next day the hills are white with snow.

It is clear that the Cailleach is one with the land, clothed in snow in winter, with brushwood growing on her body. Her one eye shows that she sees beyond dualities to the ultimate unity of all things on the Web of Life.

The Cailleach, fierce though she may be, lives in all of us. She gives us the wisdom to let go of what is no longer needed, and keeps the seeds of what is yet to come. She stands at the cusp of Death and Life.

I am the Cailleach, Goddess of Winter, Mother of Mountains, Ageless Lady of Dark Places, Ancient Crone of Wisdom. The Winter brings the Spring, and in death, I am endlessly renewed.

In her right hand she wielded a magic rod or hammer with which she struck the grass into blades of ice. In early spring, she could not bear the grass and sun, and would ßy into a temper, throwing down her wand beneath a holly tree, before disappearing in a whirling cloud of angry passion, “…….and that is why no grass grows under holly trees”.

At winter’s end, some accounts say the Cailleach turned into a grey boulder until the warm days were over. The boulder was said to be “always moist’, because it contained “life substance’. But many tales say that she turns into a beautiful young woman at this time, for the other face of the Cailleach is Bride, once goddess, now gentle Scottish saint, whose special day, February 1st marks the return of the light.

On the eve of Bride, the Cailleach journeys to the magical isle in whose woods lies the miraculous Well of Youth. At the first glimmer of dawn, she drinks the water that bubbles in a crevice of a rock, and is transformed into Bride, the fair maid whose white wand turns the bare earth green again.

"Determined now her tomb to build,
Her ample skirt with stones she filled,
And dropped a heap on Carron-more;
Then stepped one thousand yards to Loar,
And dropped another goodly heap,
And then with one prodigious leap,
Gained carrion-beg; and on its height,
Displayed the wonders of her might"


Jonathan Swift, 1667-1745

Thursday 1 July 2010

She's a witch........


I have always been drawn to witchy/wizardy images and items, I guess being born on Samhain (Halloween) helped! Even as a child I loved books about witches and faeries. My father is very much nature based, he loves to walk and has had an organic allotment since before it was even fashionable to be organic. He can name all the plants, trees and birds, and I believe a lot of that rubbed off on me. My mother too, although swayed by fashion and sparkly things (LOL) is a wonderful cook and always served us homemade from scratch beautiful meals. My father is also interested in history and mythology, as a child there were always books lying around about the Celts, the Saxons and such like. As children we regularly visited Avebury and Stonehenge.

I dabbled in Christianity in my youth, belonging to Girls Brigade for several years, until I found boys and then Young Farmers LOL! Then I just floated for a while with no real beliefs as such. I also discovered Terry Pratchett and the Discworld books some years ago – these all fuelled my love of witches!

Then about 11 or 12 years ago I picked up a book in a discount store entitled ‘The illustrated guide to Wtichcraft’, I bought it….and after reading it realized that I had come home. Everything made sense, everything fell into place.
I did lots of research on the internet, purchased all the Silver Ravenwolf books, then the Rae Beth books, then the Elen Hawke ones.

I found an online witchcraft ‘school’ and signed up, I finished my first degree with them in just over a year. It was a pretty average school. The course information was quite interesting but the homework/tests were of the multiple choice format and so didn’t require a lot of thought. When I finished the first degree I decided to look for something else. I didn’t want to belong to a coven, I didn’t want to meet people and perform ritual. I didn’t want to socialize, I just wanted a structured format to learn from.

What I found was Sacred Mists (http://www.workingwitches.com). That was nearly six years ago. It took me eighteen months to pass my first degree, and a lot longer to pass second degree as mundane life got in the way so much! Although I am glad I took my time, it allowed me to digest and absorb the information, and take several extension classes at the same time. I am now studying my third degree.

I also initiated into the Sacred Mists tradition in 2006 – the initiation ritual was one of the most emotional and moving rituals I have ever attended. When the second degree initiation is offered, I shall be dedicating without hesitation.

What I have found with Sacred Mists is a whole lot more than I had ever imagined. I have learnt – yes. But I have also found a sacred place, support, friends, love and laughter and special people that have had an enormous impact on my life. I have grown both spiritually and mentally beyond any of my expectations. Along with now being in third degree I have written and teach a class on animal totems/spirit guides. I am the Study Hall Administrator. I facilitate three boards within the forums. I co-host a weekly online chat. I have written and lead study halls and esbat rituals. I am a mentor to both first degree students and a second degree student. I belong to two committees. And next month I lead my first sabbat ritual.

Being part of Sacred Mists also allowed me to take a Herbalist course which was fantastic. I also trained in Reiki I and II which was amazing. And I am currently studying the Progressive Magick course run by Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone which is incredibly interesting.

All of this has been so immensely rewarding, challenging sometimes yes, but rewarding.

When I started on this path I was embarrassed to tell anyone that I was a witch, it felt silly. I always loved the floaty ‘Stevie Nicks’ outfits of course, along with all the silver bangles and rings (I still do!). I felt stupid casting a circle or working a spell. I didn’t know anyone else on the same path, I was on my own. But I had the love and support of my wonderful husband and my family although they didn’t really know what it was all about. My dad still maintains that I do whatever I can NOT to be normal… I am inclined to agree with him!

But that was a long while ago, and now? Now I am proud to be a witch – it is what I am, it is who I am. It is not my hobby or something I play at – it is how I live my life.

Where next? What next? One of the wonderful things about this path is that you are always learning. There is a lot of third degree I still have to work through, then to decide what elder path I wish to take…

But for now I am happy studying and learning more myself and guiding others when I can.

My next immediate challenge is meeting up with a group of Sacred Mists witches (and a druid ;-)) in Glastonbury. I was asked if I would write and lead a ritual. My initial reaction was one of sheer panic! But then I realized it was an honour and a challenge I needed to take on. I am happy with the ritual I have written, I am not so happy that I still haven’t learnt it off by heart LOL! I have prompt cards! But I am really looking forward to the experience, especially in such a spiritual place as Glastonbury and with such special Sacred Mists people.

Blessed be!
Tansy
x

(The picture I have used here is drawn by Paul Kidby and shows centre Granny Weatherwax with Magrat to the left and Nanny Ogg to the right, from the Terry Pratchett Discworld books)
http://www.terrypratchett.co.uk/
http://www.paulkidby.net/Index.html